


Windows On A Train

by alessandralee



Category: Descendants (2015)
Genre: College, F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-17
Updated: 2015-09-17
Packaged: 2018-04-21 06:11:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4818098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alessandralee/pseuds/alessandralee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mal's leaving for college, and Ben sees her off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Windows On A Train

It’s a bright, sunny day in Auradon, but Mal wishes it wasn’t. A little rain or fog or even just gray skies would be more suited to her apprehensive moos.

She pulls her sweater, stolen from Evie’s closet the other day while her friend was packing, closer around her body. It’s a small comfort.

The Castle staff place her two suitcases and one large laundry basket into the waiting limousine with ease. The drive to the train station is a quiet one, bother she and Ben are too preoccupied by their impending goodbye.

Ben’s usually the type of person who always knows what to say, so it feels weird for him to be so silent.

Then again, it feels weird to be leaving the home she’s just settled into. And it’s even stranger to be doing it without Evie, Jay, or Carlos.

Jay and Carlos had left for tourney training camp at Westerly College two week ago. And even had gotten on a bus yesterday, due to arrive in a few hours at the University of East Riding- Grimmsville.

The night before last had involved a lot of crying for both girls, and Mal had spent most of yesterday focused on packing in order to avoid her own feelings of anxiousness.

But today it’s her turn to leave. In thirty minutes she’ll catch a train to Leopoldville, where she’ll be the guest of Queen Aurora for the afternoon. Then she’ll catch a ferry to History Island and hopefully make it to Merryweather University before the sun goes down.

She just has to say goodbye first.

Ben, for his part, puts on a bright smile as he helps the limo driver lug her stuff onto the station platform. Mal sees right through it.

“At least you’ll get a clear view of the countryside,” he tells her as he drops a giant purple suitcase next to its twin.

“Yeah,” Mal says quietly.

She’d rather catch up on the sleep she missed, tossing and turning all last night. She’s not even sure she’s capable of paying attention to the view right now. But if Ben wants to try and spin things positively, she’ll let him.

“And you’ll be back before you know it,” he says.

Liar.

“In three months,” Mal can’t play along.

That’s a really long to time to be alone in a new place. Part of her wishes she’d accepted a spot at Auradon U. At least she’d have Ben nearby.

But no, she’d wanted adventures and excitement. She wanted to try new things, and strike out on her own.

None of that seems appealing right now.

“Okay, you’re right,” Ben wraps her in a hug. “Three months is a lot.”

Usually this is part where he jokes about running away in the middle of the night to come visit her. But today, with their separation only minutes away, they can’t help but be more serious.

Ben is king. There’s an entire country dependent on the decisions he makes. And now that he’s finished high school, his responsibilities are only growing.

He can’t sneak away to visit Mal for a weekend.

For one thing, he’d never make it out the castle door.

So Mal knows she won’t see him until her Fall Break. Lucky for her, it’s one of the only holidays in Auradon that doesn’t require a huge part to accompany it. She’ll get to see her boyfriend without having to share him with hundreds of strangers.

She just has to survive until then.

“Tell me it won’t be awful,” Mal says.

It’s not that she’s reliant on Ben for her sense of security, but sometimes the extra bit of reassurance really does help.

“It won’t be awful,” he promises. “It’ll probably be kind of awkward at first, not knowing anything, but you’re a pro at awkward situations.”

He does have a point there. Maybe if she treats making new friends like meeting new dignitaries and nobles and royal guests, she’ll get through it in one piece.

Or maybe she’ll end up spilling strawberry sauce down the front of her dress like she did at a banquet last year.

“But what if everyone hates me?” she asks, finally giving voice to the fear she’s been trying to ignore since she started applying to colleges.

It was hard to build a home at Auradon Prep. She had to work to prove to people that there was more to her than being a chip off Maleficent’s block.

And now she’s starting all over again.

“Magical haircuts?” Ben suggests. Mal glares at him. “What? You can’t put love spells on all of them.”

Mal can’t help but laugh at that.

“I don’t know,” she says. “Maybe if there’s a school bake sale. I do make a mean cupcake.”

Joking around like this makes her feel better. It reminds Mal that she made it through every awful, uncomfortable thing that happened at Auradon Prep.

And she even managed to carve out a place for herself where things felt normal.

She can do it again. Even if it’s hard, even if it sucks sometimes. She can make a lot out of four years.

“Try not to have too much fun without me,” Ben says.

Mal studies him for a moment, and she can see the disappointment he’s trying to hide.

Ben would love college. The classes, the clubs, the opportunity to wear sweatpants every day without anyone judging him.

But he has responsibilities. So he’s settling for part-time classes locally and a private tutor.

And he’s done nothing but show happiness and excitement for Mal and all their other friends.

Because that’s the kind of guy Ben is.

But it still has to be rough.

“We’ll video chat,” Mal reminds him. She hadn’t thought she’d be the one doing the comforting today. “And text and call. I’ll even write you letters.”

“Letters?”

“Why not?” Mal shrugs. “I’ll buy fancy stationary and spray them with my perfume. That was you won’t forget me when some foreign princess comes to visit.”

The train pulls slowly into the station, and limo driver, who had been standing off to the side to give them some privacy, grabs the first of Mal’s things.

Ben pulls Mal into another tight hug.

“Like any princess could compare to you,” he whispers, then presses a kiss to her forehead.

“I love you,” she tells him.

“I love you, too.”

There’s nothing else to do but go. Mal grabs her backpack, gives Ben a quick peck on the lips, and boards the train.

She finds her seat quickly and watches out the window as he waves goodbye, still waiting on the platform when the train rounds a ben and he disappears from view.


End file.
